Entertainment

'Big' joke on Asafa at Comedy Festival

Ity and Fancy Cat pass a 'big' joke on Asafa Powell at the International Comedy Festival, held at the Hilton Hotel on Sunday, July 3. - carlington wilmot

ITY AND FANCY Cat pulled a big joke, in more ways than one, on the world's fastest man, 100m record holder, Asafa Powell, at the International Comedy Festival 2K5 on Sunday night.

The two were part of a consistently side-splitting line-up that had the members of the 'corked' house at the Hilton Hotel in New Kingston rolling over in their seats - and at a few points running in the aisles - with quite a few turned back with the promise of second, previously unscheduled, show on Monday night.

The two, along with Tony 'Paleface' Hendricks, the duo Iceman and Johnny and Lemon formed the Jamaican contingent, while J. Martin, Jean Paul, Willie Brown, Donna Haddad, Trevor Eastmond, Sprangalang, Gypsy and Relator were the overseas performers.

"The media does not highlight good things," Ity said to applause, setting the stage for them to relive Asafa Powell's record run. "Ladies, let me advise you. Because of the speed of that race, we will slow it down and show you in slow motion. Ladies, help me introduce to you that glorious moment," Ity said. Fancy Cat, decked out in a black body suit with gold trimmings, his stomach pushing out the 'Body Dynamic' written at the front, came through the curtains striding in slow motion.

Most prominent bulge

The laughter rising, Fancy Cat came front and centre - and the belly was not the most prominent bulge. That honour belonged a further south. "He is the biggest runner in Jamaica!" Ity announced, Fancy Cat adjusting the bulge that threatened to make him a one-man candidate for a three-legged race, the members of the audience howling with laughter.

It was not the only joke of the night around Asafa Powell. Trevor 'Dynamite' Eastmond of Barbados, who hit a happy note with the audience howling with his explanation of the speed of Jamaican athletes. "Jamaicans hear gunshot regular. Anytime you put a Jamaican on his knees and say 'on yu mark, get set, bow!', you can't beat him," Eastmond said.

As for Powell not winning Olympic gold, Eastmond said: "He come from the land of wood and water. He learn to run on wood, he learn to run on water, he learn to run in mud. How the hell you expect him to run in grease?" Eastmond demanded to a huge response.

Powell was not the only Jamaican figure to get good treatment from the Jamaicans and overseas comedians. Ice Man and Johnny held a pose on stage before starting out in song: "Welcome to Jamaica/keep your head down/If a shootout is happening/Get down on the ground/The police don't take cheque/But they will take cash ...". They got no farther, as the Hilton ballroom rocked with laughter. The two left the stage briefly, then returned to do it all over again.

And ventriloquist Willie Brown, working with his dummy Woody, for whom he spoke without ever losing his grin or moving his lips, commented on the elusive weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. "They ought to do it like the Jamaican police. Just plant it!" he said, to laughter.